Many power systems have multiple generator units for supplying electricity to one or more electric power loads. When the electric power loads of such a power system have relatively low electricity requirements, the power system may operate more efficiently by running a subset of the generator units than by running all of the generator units at a low power output level. Unfortunately, running some generator units while not running other generator units may cause the running generator units to accumulate more service than the generator units not running.
Published U.S. Patent Application No. 2006/0266256 to Donnelly et al. (“the '256 application”) discloses a method of controlling how many of a plurality of generator units of a locomotive run based on power needs of the locomotive, and the '256 application suggests balancing the usage of the generator units' engines. The locomotive disclosed by the '256 application has the plurality of generator units connected in parallel to a DC bus. The locomotive further includes a plurality of traction motors connected in parallel to the DC bus so that they may receive electricity supplied to the DC bus by the plurality of generator units. The '256 application teaches that the control system of the locomotive may determine how many of the generator units to run by determining the amount of power required for the traction motors, dividing the determined power requirement by the power rating of each generator unit, and rounding up. The '256 application suggests that the control system of the locomotive may use engine logs for the generator units to balance usage of the different generator units' engines.
Although the '256 application suggests using engine logs to balance operation of the engines of multiple generator units of a locomotive, certain disadvantages persist. For example, the '256 application does not disclose how to actually coordinate operation of the generator units based on the engine logs to balance usage of the generator units' engines.
The power system and methods of the present disclosure solve one or more of the problems set forth above.